Happy (almost) New Year's Eve! While I was browsing the party section of Walmart, I came up with a fun idea for a balloon drop for kids. I think this would be so fun to do on New Year's Eve! I know my 3-year-old really enjoyed doing this activity. Hope you'll try it out, too! Here's what you need for the balloon drop: balloons 22 inch glow sticks (or wooden dowel rods) tall laundry basket with holes two totes (or chairs) Here's how to make the balloon drop: Begin by … [Read more...]
Snow Slime Recipe
Do you get snow where you live? We just got our first snow of winter a few days ago and my kids are loving it! However, we only got one inch of snow and it's frigid outside, so we haven't been playing in it! But we have been playing with my new snow slime recipe! This is such an easy recipe and it's great for days when you need an indoor activity! Here's what you need for snow slime: 3 cups shaving cream 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 cup white glue 1/2 cup Poly-Fil micro … [Read more...]
Fall Slime Recipe
My kids love to play with slime! It keeps them busy for such a long time and it is a great calming play activity. You can make this fall slime in under five minutes with just a few supplies! This post contains affiliate links. See my disclosure for details. Here's what you need for fall slime: 4 oz. of clear Elmer's glue 1/4 teaspoon baking soda glitter (I bought mine at Michaels) 1 tablespoon saline solution + more as needed (make sure the ingredient list includes buffered … [Read more...]
Nuts and Bolts Busy Bag
Busy bags are such a great way to keep little ones busy. Today I'm sharing with you an idea that is super simple to set up, but will keep your little ones busy for a while! This nuts and bolts busy bag is sure to be a hit with children who like to build and create things! Here's what you need for this nuts and bolts busy bag: nuts bolts washers board with drilled holes We were given this set of nuts, bolts, washers, and boards (with holes) by a sweet friend. I'm so thankful … [Read more...]
Homemade Snow Paint Recipe
Do you have snow where you live? We normally get a lot of snow in Iowa, but this year we haven't. It is not very fun for the kids to have a cold, brown winter! However, we just got some snow last week and we've been so excited about playing in the snow! Sometimes it's too cold to go outside, so we bring the snow indoors to play with. Today I'm sharing with you our homemade snow paint recipe. It's super simple to make and kids love it! Here's what you need to make snow paint: … [Read more...]
Underwater Magic Sand
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. See my disclosure for details. If you're looking for a super cool science experiment, you'll have to check out this Underwater Magic Sand. This experiment is SO neat! My kids loved it and I know yours will, too! Here's what you need for this activity: colored sand fabric protector spray (I used Scotch Gard) large vase or bowl of water shallow container wax paper or tin foil spoon Begin by lining your shallow container (or … [Read more...]
Tinker Tray – Inspiring Little Ones to Create!
It's been so cold and snowy here, so I've been brainstorming ways to keep my kids busy indoors. We had so much fun with our last tinker tray, that I decided to put together another one. I looked through my craft supplies and filled a divided tray full of materials my children can use to create with. I love tinker trays because it inspires little ones to use their imagination and creativity to make whatever they want. This process art activity is awesome because kids don't feel like they … [Read more...]
Tinker Tray – STEM Activity for Little Learners
My boys are really into building right now. Any chance they get, they are building something! I love it and definitely encourage this activity. I was cleaning out my catch-all drawer, and I came across a bunch of baby food pouch lids that I've saved and I decided they would be a great material for my boys to build with. After doing some digging around the house, I came up with a tinker tray for them to create with. So what is a tinker tray anyway? A tinker tray is a tray full of materials … [Read more...]
Homemade Silly Putty
Today is the last day of the 31 Days of Play series! It was so fun planning play activities for my kiddos and sharing them with you all. Thank you for reading and I hope these activities inspired you to play with your child at home. Today's activity is homemade silly putty! And the awesome part is you only need 2 ingredients! For the complete recipe and directions, visit here. The only modifications I made to the recipe is I kneaded the the silly putty in a little bit of corn … [Read more...]
Homemade Floam
Have you ever seen floam in the store or in kid magazines? I've never bought this play material because it's pricey, but my kids have begged me to buy it! I've thought about purchasing it, but honestly, I wanted to see if I could make some myself. This post contains affiliate links. See my disclosure for details. Here's what you need to make floam: 1/2 cup Poly Fil micro beads 1 tsp. Borax powder warm water (1/4 cup and 2 tablespoons, divided) 2 tablespoons of white glue … [Read more...]